The present invention is directed to a downhill sledding system and more specifically to a system which is utilized in the summer where a track is installed on the ski slope and a driver controlled sled is ridden down the track.
A sledding system as above is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,517, issued Jan. 7, 1975 and assigned to Demag Company of Germany. That patent discloses a concave shaped track meandering down a mountain side and a sled which slidably engages the track on slide elements mounted on the sled. The sled includes a seat for the driver and a lever which when actuated engages a centrally located brake to make braking contact with the bottom of the track under the sled.
Another type of sled now being used by Alpine Slide Corporation of Manchester Center, Vermont uses track sections similar to that shown in the Demag patent but has a modified sled. Specifically, the sled rides on four low friction plastic pads, two located near the front of the sled and two located near the rear. In addition, there are four braking pads located fore and aft of the driver's seat and a pair of wheels located in front of the front pair of braking pads. A centrally located control lever has three positions. In a neutral position the sled glides on its four gliding pads. In a forward position the wheels are extended partially disengaging the gliding pads in order to allow the sled to accelerate. Finally, in a pulled back position the lever, of course, retracts the wheels since it has gone through its neutral position and the four brake pads are extended down toward the bottom of the track for slowing the sled. U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,785, assigned to Demag illustrates the foregoing.
A somewhat similar sled as the Alpine slide is shown in a Wiegand German patent publication No. 2,515,994 dated Oct. 21, 1976.
Yet another sledding system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,556 in the name of R. Stuhmer dated Sept. 30, 1965 and entitled "Sledding System". This patent in essence discloses a simulated bobsled track, since the sled is substantially similar thereto, where the track has lateral side barriers.
With all of the above foregoing systems the thrill of the downhill ride is, of course, enhanced by more curves at higher speeds. With a concave track it is apparent that, as in a bobsled run, some sleds will veer off the track while under the control of an inexperienced driver. In addition, even if this is not the case after a curve is rounded a sled may have a feeling of instability.